Author: Kumar Govindan

I am the first Graduate - an Engineer - in the family; the first to be employed in the Government Sector, India; the first to go overseas for work - USA; the first to throw it all and become an Entrepreneur (and fail); the first to get back to work - this time with the Tata Group, India - after 4 years of chasing 'business dreams'; and, the first to pick-up the Entrepreneur thread again. I now run a Women's Apparel design and styling Boutique - Mavira Designs - along with my wife. The objective of my Blog is to tell my story, intermingled with news stories from all corners of the World, with wit and pun - to squeeze a few laughs, perhaps a smile. I'm sure you will enjoy the reading.

WORLD INTHAVAARAM, 2023-32

About: the world this week 6 August to 12 August 2023; Selling Gifts in Pakistan; Bangladesh’s Dengue Outbreak; Hawaii’s Wild-Fires; Moon Missions; India’s Parliament; Women’s Football; and Steps to Healthy Living.

Everywhere

Pakistan’s Gifts

Former Prime Minister (PM) of Pakistan, Imran Khan, 70, was found guilty and sentenced to three years in prison, in the ’Toshakhana’ case. And he has been barred from Politics for five years. The case is that Imran Khan misused his office, during his tenure as PM from 2018 to 2022, to buy and sell gifts in the State’s possession that were received during visits abroad and worth more than 140 million Pakistani rupees. Protocol requires PM’s to store all gifts in the State’s ‘safe house’, while Khan is accused of having sold them at a profit. The objects include watches, perfumes, diamond jewellery, and dinner sets. Imran Khan said he legally purchased the items.

He now sits in jail -on the bench- waiting for some magic decision by the Higher Courts where he has made a third-umpire kind of appeal. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Parliament has been dissolved and the Elections are pitched ahead at a convenient distance.

Bangladesh’s Dengue Outbreak

Dengue, also called ‘break-bone fever’, is a mosquito-borne viral infection disease that is common in warm, tropical and subtropical regions of the World.

The dengue causing virus (DENV – single strand RNA of the Flaviviridae family) spreads to people through the bite of an infected Aedes species (Aegypti or Albopictus) female mosquito. Almost half of the world’s population live in areas with a risk of dengue and is often a leading cause of illness in these areas. These mosquitoes also spread Zika, Chikungunya, and other viruses.

Mosquitoes become carriers of the disease when they bite a person infected with the virus. Such infected mosquitoes can then spread the virus to other people. Bites from infected mosquitoes are the only mode of transmission. Infected mosquitoes continue to transmit the dengue virus with each blood meal for the rest of their lives.

But then, where did the Dengue Virus first come from?

Scientists hypothesise that the dengue viruses evolved in non-human primates and jumped from these primates to humans in Africa or Southeast Asia between 500 and 1000 years ago. They probably originated in monkeys and spilled over to humans.

Mosquitoes acquire the virus when they feed on a viraemic (virus present in the blood) host, after which the virus infects many tissues, in a susceptible species, including the salivary glands. The incubation period of the dengue virus is 3–14 days, with an average of 4–7 days. Humans are the main amplifying host of the virus. In tropical and sub-tropical urban areas, the viruses are maintained in a seemingly never-ending human-mosquito cycle.

Dengue is endemic in at least 100 countries in Asia. i.e., the infection is constantly present; and the disease occurs regularly in the community.

Mosquitoes typically lay eggs near stagnant water in containers that hold water, like buckets, bowls, animal dishes, flower pots, and vases, which serve as breeding grounds for further spread of mosquitoes bites, and the disease.

Symptoms of dengue include high fever, headache, rash, and muscle and joint pain. In severe cases there is serious bleeding and shock, which can be life-threatening and require hospital care. Treatment includes fluids and pain relievers.

Those who become infected with the virus a second time are significantly at a greater risk of developing a severe disease condition. A person can be infected with dengue multiple times in their life.

There is no treatment for the infection itself, but the symptoms that a patient experiences can be managed. There is no vaccine or drug that specifically treats dengue.

Now, over to Bangladesh where dengue is spreading like wild-fire.

Urbanisation, migration, and climatic changes are spurring a surge in dengue virus infections and Bangladesh is facing the effects. It registered record numbers of dengue cases and deaths amid an accelerating outbreak. The country has reported 61,500 cases of dengue so far in 2023, 85% of which date from July, as well as about 290 deaths. Reports have emerged of health-care facilities being overwhelmed. Moreover, although the risk of dengue is present throughout the year in Bangladesh infections typically peak in August and September.

The El-Nino phenomenon, which is associated with increased temperatures in Southeast Asia, started this year in June 2023. And has been linked to major dengue epidemics. A hot and wet climate is perfect for dengue. Countries like Cambodia, Malaysia, and Thailand are currently seeing a lot of transmission.

Dengue became established in Bangladesh sometime around the year 2000. Cases have historically been concentrated in the three largest cities: the capital Dhaka, Chittagong, and Khulna. Infection rates were far lower for people living outside urban areas. However, as Bangladeshis become increasingly mobile, they experienced a greater spread of dengue. People bring the mosquitoes back to their communities as well as the viruses that can be transmitted by the mosquitoes.

Dhaka has been particularly badly hit by the current outbreak. It is one of the most densely populated cities in the world and is rapidly growing. Dengue thrives in conditions of unplanned urbanisation.

Says a Professor in the Department of Zoology at Jahangirnagar University in Dhaka, “There is a water supply problem in Dhaka, so people keep water in buckets and plastic containers in their bathrooms or elsewhere in the home. Mosquitoes can live there all year round. Our waste management system is not well planned. Garbage piles up on the street; you see a lot of little plastic containers with pools of water in them. We also have multi-storey buildings with car parks in the basements. People wash their vehicles down there, which is ideal for the mosquitoes”.

Construction sites abound in Dhaka, with plenty of water lying around. Vector control is the responsibility of the city authorities who are doing their best with the spraying and fogging.

The Aedes Aegypti mosquito has now developed resistance to malathion, the insecticide used in Dhaka. The mosquito has already shown resistance to pyrethroid in Bangladesh. The use of mass spraying is not very convincing and there is not much evidence that removing breeding spots and applying insecticide reduces dengue. A mosquito bites during the day, which limits the effectiveness of bed-nets; it is excellent at hiding and needs little more than a thimble-full of standing water to proliferate. Once it is inside a residence, it is extremely difficult to eradicate.

With the evolution of the dengue virus, it does not cause critical symptoms in many instances. Because of this, people often ignore it, but the disease must be diagnosed early so that it can be treated before it gets complicated.

Perhaps the best hope for Bangladesh is a cost-effective vaccine. Presently, clinical trials are underway in a promising single-dose vaccine developed by the US National Institutes of Health (Bethesda, MD, USA) in collaboration with the University of Vermont Vaccine Testing Center (Burlington, VT, USA) and Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD, USA). Bangladesh has immediate no plans to roll out either the Sanofi Pasteur dengue vaccine – made by French multinational company Sanofi – which is only recommended for individuals previously infected with dengue, or the newer product developed by Takeda – a Japanese Company.

And these mosquitoes have been around for ages!

Hawaii’s Wild-Fires

Hawaii is an island state of the United States (US) – one of the 50 States – about 3200 km from the US mainland, in the Pacific Ocean. It is the only US state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only state in the tropics. Hawaii is known for its beautiful beaches, its laid-back lifestyle, and its delicious food.

The idyllic Hawaii is besieged by unprecedented, apocalyptic wildfires that are raging across Hawaii’s Big Island and Maui. Lahaina, the historic seaside town that was once the capital of the Kingdom of Hawaii has been largely reduced to ash. Lahaina being a touristic and economic hub of about 9,000 people, hundreds of families have been displaced. “We have no more Lahaina. It’s gone,” said a resident.

Over 60 people have died and hundreds of structures have been destroyed as fires continue to rage the island. This is the worst natural disaster in the history of Hawaii.

The fires first began this Tuesday, and have since grown and spread in destruction, forcing hundreds of evacuations and leaving thousands without power. Most of the fires on Maui – fuelled in part by violent winds from Hurricane Dora, churning more than 800 miles away – have not yet been contained. New brush fires also erupted on Hawaii Island as officials work to extinguish the ongoing deadly wildfires.

The exact cause of the fires is unknown, although some experts believe human development on the island is at least partly to blame; including non-native grass planted by plantation owners unfamiliar with the native ecosystem, which is dry and prone to fires.

A NASA Satellite imagery showed that dry conditions and strong winds helped fuel destructive wild-fires in Maui.

When a lush Hawaii, caressed by the sea, can turn into a hot-bed furnace, no spot in the World can be considered safe from the effects of Climate Change.

Moon Missions

Last weekend, India’s Chandrayaan-3 was successfully manoeuvred into the lunar orbit. Now the spacecraft is being gradually pulled into the gravity of the Moon with ‘regular, controlled orbit lowering manoeuvres’ by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). A soft landing on the unexplored South Pole of the Moon is scheduled on 23rd August. ISRO is confident that the mission will be a success.

While India is slowly inching to the moon, this week Russia launched it’s first moon-landing spacecraft in 47 years. A Soyuz 2.1 rocket carrying the Luna-25 spacecraft blasted off from the Vostochny Cosmodrome, 5550 km East of Moscow, this Friday. The landed was boosted out of Earth’s orbit towards the Moon over an hour later and the Russian Space Agency Roscosmos is now commanding Luna-25. The lander is expected to touch down on the Moon’s South Pole, on 21st August. Russia’s stated goal is to land where no-one else has landed and to find water on the Moon.

India has company out there. And there is a brewing ‘soft competition’ – no country has made a soft landing on the South Pole of the Moon.

India’s Parliament

Perhaps for the first time in a very long time, people were suddenly watching speeches by Members of Parliament (MP) in India’s two Houses of Parliament – the lower, Lok Sabha and the upper, Rajya Sabha.

This season was perhaps one of the noisiest ever and bedlam all the way through. Even a final parting ‘Flying Kiss’ by a ‘recently re-installed MP’ failed to spill love and only generated uproar and more heat. India’s Dairy King, Amul, said it best in a cheeky, delicious advertisement, ‘Frying Kiss. Amul – Wins Everyone’s Confidence’

The Opposition, like a deer caught in the headlights, brought a ‘No Confidence Motion’ on the Government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, hoping to put the Government on the mat ahead of Parliament Elections in 2024. The focus was on the ethnic violence in the State of Manipur. However, it gave the Government a fabulous opportunity to talk about its achievements and instead wrestle down the Opposition to the mat. Plus, the Government had the numbers in Parliament.

The government easily defeated the no confidence motion after a fiery speech by the PM at the climax of a three-day debate.

The motion was defeated in a voice vote called by the speaker of the Lok Sabha shortly after opposition MPs staged a walk-out.

Women’s Football

Four-time World Cup winners United States of America were knocked-out by Sweden in penalties 5-4 following a goal-less play-time in the knock-out stage.

Colombia are through to the FIFA Women’s World Cup quarter-finals, the last Eight, for the first time, beating Jamaica 1-0.

The Quarter final line-up is: Spain versus (vs) Netherlands; Japan vs Sweden, Colombia vs England, and France vs Australia happening on 11th and 12th August.

Spain beat Netherlands 2-1, to advance to the semi-finals as did Sweden likewise beating Japan 2-1.

The race for the Golden Boot, has Japan’s Hinata Miyazawa at 5 Goals, France’s Kadidiatou Diani at 4 goals, and others with three or two goals, on the field.

Steps to Healthy Living

It’s generally believed that walking at least 10,000 steps per day is one of the best ways for maintaining an active lifestyle: enough to extend your life due to ‘good health’. This is in keeping with the fundamental truth of any physical activity: any movement is better than no movement at all.

Now it’s been found that walking just 4,000 steps per day may be enough to help extend your life, according to a new research review published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. The researchers found that more movement is better, with each additional 1,000 steps per day associated with a roughly 15% lower risk of premature death. But research suggests that workouts don’t need to be all that gruelling or lengthy to improve your health. Everything from walking to housework to dancing can contribute to well-being, studies have shown.

More burning stories coming-up in the weeks ahead. Stay in-step with World Inthavaaram.

WORLD INTHAVAARAM, 2023-31

About: the world this week 30 July to 5 August 2023; Ukraine’s drones; Niger’s uranium; Permafrost’s secrets; India’s violence; Women’s football; and Music’s spill.

Everywhere

Ukraine

Ukraine is on the counter-offensive, taking the war into Russia striking deep inside their territory, reaching Moscow and threatening more attacks. A skyscraper in Moscow was attacked by an ‘unidentified’ drone for the second time in two days.

Ukraine says there will be ‘more unidentified drones, more collapse, more civil conflicts’. Of course, Russia keeps fumbling with tacit threats of the nuclear option.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia-the new growing-up kid in the world of peacemaking – is trying to get people together for talks in finding a solution to the Russia-Ukraine war, a forum that excludes Russia. The meeting is to be held in Jeddah, with national security advisers and other senior officials from some 40 countries meeting to agree on key principles for a future peace settlement to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Niger

Following last week’s coup in Niger, the military regime of General Abdourahamane Tchiani has banned, with immediate effect, the export of Uranium to France. Over 50% of the uranium extracted from Niger is used for fuelling France’s nuclear power plants. And the about 24% of Uranium imports by the European Union come from Niger.

Niger hosts a French military base and is the world’s seventh-biggest producer of uranium.

Niger has warned of foreign interference and is garnering support for its actions among neighbouring countries.

Back To Life

Permafrost is a permanently frozen layer below the Earth’s surface. It consists of soil, gravel, and sand, usually bound together by ice. Permafrost can be found on land and below the ocean floor in thickness ranging from one meter to more than 1,000 meters. It is found in areas where temperatures rarely rise above freezing. This means permafrost is mostly found in Arctic regions such as Greenland, the US State of Alaska, Russia, China, and Eastern Europe.

Permafrost does not always form in one solid-sheet and there are two major ways in which it forms and distributes itself: continuous and discontinuous. Continuous permafrost is a continuous sheet of frozen material that extends under all surfaces except large bodies of water. Russia’s Serbia has continuous permafrost. Discontinuous permafrost is broken up into separate areas. Some permafrost, in the shadow of a mountain or thick vegetation, stays all year. In other areas the summer sun thaws the permafrost for several weeks or months. The land near the southern shore of Hudson Bay, Canada, has discontinuous permafrost.

What’s all this about?

Scientists have ‘brought to life’ a worm that was frozen 46,000 years ago – at a time when woolly mammoths, sabre-toothed tigers and giant elks roamed the Earth. The roundworm, of a previously unknown species, survived 40 meters below the surface in the Siberian permafrost in a dormant state known as cryptobiosis. Organisms in a cryptobiotic state can endure the complete absence of water or oxygen and withstand high temperatures, as well as freezing or extremely salty conditions. They remain in a state ‘between death and life’, in which their metabolic rates decrease to an undetectable level. Organisms previously revived from this state had survived for decades.

Five years ago, scientists from the Institute of Physicochemical and Biological

Problems in Soil Science in Russia found two roundworm species in the Siberian permafrost. But still, they did not know whether the worm was a known species. Eventually, genetic analysis conducted by scientists in Dresden and Cologne showed that these worms belonged to a novel species, which researchers named Panagrolaimus kolymaenis. Researchers also found that the P. kolymaenis shared with C. elegans — another organism often used in scientific studies — ‘a molecular toolkit’ that could allow it to survive cryptobiosis. Both organisms produce a sugar called trehalose, possibly enabling them to endure freezing and dehydration.

’Toolkit’ is fast becoming the word of the year – freeze it?

Violence in India

This week, a Railway Protection Force (RPF) Constable shot dead 4 people on a moving train – Jaipur Express – near Mumbai. The RPF constable had an altercation with his boss as he was feeling unwell and wanted to get off the train. His boss wanted him to continue up to Mumbai. The Constable then shot his boss first and 3 other people. The incident is being investigated on the lines of mental imbalance, hate crime, besides other angles.

Another story stayed in the news much of this week and ran riot on the headlines. But, first a flash-back to get a handle on the situation.

Nuh is one of the 22 districts in the Indian state of Haryana, previously known as Mewat District, and renamed in the year 2016. The Town of Nuh is the District headquarters and lies on the National Highway – the Gurugram-Sohna-Alwar Highway – about 45 kilometres from the city of Gurugram of the National Capital Region. Mewat is a historical region spanning areas of the States of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan, hence the name change to a more specific area of Haryana.

Nuh is predominantly populated by the Meos- an ethnic group of the region who are agriculturists – and Muslims; with about 79% being Muslims and about 20% being Hindus.

In the year 2018, the Government of India’s premier policy think-tank, Niti Aayog named Nuh District as the most underdeveloped of India’s 739 districts. Despite bordering Gurgaon District, Haryana’s rich industrial and financial heartland, Nuh had the worst health and nutrition, education, agriculture and water resources, financial inclusion, skill development, and basic infrastructure.

Nuh is also the epicentre of cattle smuggling, illegal animal slaughter, and illegal mining, with mafias that run the business often clashing with police and ‘Gau Rakshaks’ (Cow Vigilantes). The mafia operates from the interiors of Nuh District and in the neighbouring Alwar District of Rajasthan, which is also infamous for being a cattle smuggling and illegal slaughter hub. The business is highly lucrative, with cattle stolen from farm­steads worth between INR 25,000 and 35,000 per head. Additional income ’smuggles-in’ from the illicit sale of older animals and capture of stray animals.

The cattle smugglers and vigilantes are engaged in a dangerous ‘cat-and-mouse’ game: the vigilantes, acting on tip-offs, chase vehicles suspected of carrying smuggled cattle; the well-armed cattle smugglers often throw the animals off their vehicles and hurl stones when chased. The police have set up special anti-cattle smuggling cells but have been ‘unable to lasso’ the Gau Rakshaks or the criminal gangs. Confronting cattle smugglers and illegal slaughter is a hazardous job in Nuh, that puts police personnel at tremendous risk. The poor conviction rate under the state’s Gauvansh Sanrakshan and Gausamvardhan Act (Cow Protection Law) has often seen the Courts pull-up the police on more than one occasion.

The region is testimony to stubborn inter-generational de­velopment deficits and has bred criminal activities that are part of the reason why Nuh is a communal tinderbox. As an example, Nuh’s Singar village has a total literacy rate of around 30% and a female literacy under 9% according to Census 2011. A large village with more than 3,000 houses, it seems to typify the lack of opportunity. And absence of government attention and exclusion has perhaps led people in Nuh to take to crime in a big way. A report in 2014 highlighted a high incidence of power theft, and government initiatives to electrify villages have faced shocking resistance with people refusing to pay for electricity and attacking Government staff on the job. It required sustained outreach to com­plete delivery of a power connection to willing households under the Saub­hagya Scheme launched by the Central Govt in September 2017.

It was a year ago, in July 2022, that a Deputy Superintendent of Police was run over by a truck driven by illegal miners after he took them by surprise near Tauru. In recent times, Nuh ‘has progressed’ to report cyber and call-centre frauds.

Now coming closer to the present situation.

Three years ago, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) started a Yatra (journey) called the Brij Mandal Jalabhishek Yatra- to revive holy Hindu sites and Hindu religious tourism in Meo-Muslim dominated Nuh. The district is home to three ancient Mahabharata period Shiva temples. The Aravallis are also popularised as once being the grazing grounds of Lord Krishna’s cows. The temples have long existed undisturbed and even conserved but aiming to save them from ‘potential threat of being encroached by mosques’ like Kashi Vishwanath or Krishna Janambhoomi, VHP started the Yatra insisting pilgrims would keep the temples relevant.

Typically, the Yatra enters Nuh District from Sohna, begins from Nalhar Mahadev Temple in Nuh, goes to Jhirakeshwar Mahadev and Radha Krishna Temple at Shrangar village. And concludes at the Shringeshwar Mahadev Temple.

The annual Yatra, which was started as a pilgrimage has long been converted into a power show where not just VHP or Bajrang Dal members, but even cow vigilantes participated. Over the past two years, the Yatra was preceded by online ‘war of throwing challenges between participants and local men’. There was always tension surrounding the Yatra which escalated this year. However, all communities have long coexisted in Nuh, peacefully.

This year too, the police called the communities -especially the Muslim and Hindu Groups – in the region to talk to them to maintain peace while according permission for the Yatra.

This Monday the Yatra started like it did in the other two years, but violence began 10 minutes after the procession, of around 200 people, began to walk from Edward Chowk in Nuh town. As the group walked down the main road they were confronted by a group of young men who tried to stop the procession. And they were pelted with stones, rocks sticks, bottles, and illegal firearms by a large Muslim mob, which had gathered at the scene. The Hindu side initially fled, but then they regrouped and retaliated. As the mob tried to disrupt the procession, the two sides came to loggerheads. Stones were pelted and cars were set on fire, and when the Home Guards intervened, they were shot at.

More than 100 vehicles were burnt and people sort refuge in the Nalkeshwar Temple from where the procession was scheduled to begin. Over 150 new motorcycles were looted from a showroom in the area and a cyber police station was attacked. Central paramilitary forces were rushed in to get a grip on the situation in Nuh and a curfew was imposed.

It appears that the violence was carefully organised with a large number of stones and bricks stocked in parks, along roadsides and on roofs, while a number of illegal firearms were used. The police investigation reveals a familiar pattern of WhatsApp groups being formed and ‘tasks’ being allocated and directions issued about where rioters were to gather. In the videos that went viral, minors can also be seen to be part of the mobs that roamed the streets of Nuh on 31 July.

The violence was reportedly triggered after Bajrang Dal activist Monu Manesar – a cow vigilante accused of lynching two Muslim men – circulated a video on Sunday, announcing that he would be part of the procession. He along with one Bittu Bajrangi, urged people to join in large numbers. The murder-accused has been absconding since February this year, after the killings. While Manesar did not attend the Yatra his message appears to have incited locals in Nuh. They have been long demanding that the cow vigilante be arrested.

Tension has been simmering in Nuh since Sunday, a day before the Yatra was scheduled. The procession was attacked soon after it kick-started with stones being pelted from rooftops by members of another community, indicating that the violence was pre-planned.

The situation seems to be in control, and investigations have begun on the reasons, and those responsible. And how to prevent a relapse.

India to the Moon

India’s Chandrayaan-3 was put a path to the Moon with the Trans Lunar Insertion manoeuvre operation successfully completed on 1st August. The spacecraft has now left Earth’s Orbit and is expected to enter Moon’s Orbit in a few days time. Injection into the lunar orbit, so that the spacecraft is pulled into the gravity of the Moon, is a critical phase of the operation and is expected to happen over the weekend.

The next, and the final destination, is the Moon. And a 23rd August Moon Landing is in the cross-hairs of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).

Women’s Football

The FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 – the ninth edition of the quadrennial international women’s football championship- contested by women’s national teams and organised by FIFA in underway from 20 July to 20 August 2023 in the two hosting countries of Australia and New Zealand.

This is the first tournament to have more than one host nation and the first to feature the expanded format of 32 teams from the previous 24, replicating the same format used for the Men’s World Cup from 1998 to 2022.

The final is scheduled on 20 August at the Sydney Olympic Stadium, Sydney, Australia. The United States are the defending champions, having won the World Cup in 2015 and 2019.

Some of the women’s stars to look-out for are: Germany’s Jule Brand and Lena Oberdorf; USA’s Alyssa Thompson; Colombia’s Linda Caicedo; Japan’s Maika Hamano; England’s Lauren James and Denmark’s Kathrine Kuhl.

This week thhe Tournament entered the knock-out stage of the last sixteen. The teams that made it are: USA, England, France, Spain, Denmark, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Jamaica, Colombia, South Africa, Nigeria, Morocco, Australia, and Japan

World Cup tournaments tend to be defined by an emerging star and, this year, it’s Colombia’s 18 years old sensation Linda Caicedo who is shining brightest.

At just 14, Caicedo made her professional debut for the Colombian side, America de Cali, and finished her first season as the league’s top scorer in her side’s title win. And a few months later she earned her international call-up to the Colombian national side.

Things were progressing quickly for Caicedo, but all was about to come to a halt. At 15, Caicedo was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, shortly after making her senior debut for the national side. She underwent surgery and chemotherapy treatment. And as if it was not enough, it all happened during the Covid19 pandemic. Now she’s fought her way back and is shining like the brightest star in this World Cup.

Please Yourself

Music Throws

Last week, America felt the seismic effects of ‘Swift Quake’. And late last week, singer Cardi B exploded, hurling her microphone at a concertgoer, during a concert at Drai’s Beachclub in Las Vegas, United States.

A concertgoer standing at the edge of the stage tossed up the contents of a large white cup, splashing her face and soaking her orange swimsuit cover-up as she performed her No. 1 hit ‘Bodak Yellow’. She shouted at the person, as security retrieved her microphone and appeared to remove the fan from the outdoor show.

The violence comes amid a wave of recent attacks against performers, including one last week in which a crowd member threw a purse at Canadian rapper, Drake. Last month, a man was charged with assault after hitting pop singer Bebe Rexha with a phone.

More thawing stories coming-up from the cold, in the weeks ahead. Sing with World Inthavaaram.

WORLD INTHAVAARAM, 2023-30

About: the world this week 23 July to 29 July 2023 – Heat and Fire; Odessa; Spain’s Election; Iraq & Sweden; a coup in Niger; Greece fires; Chandrayaan-3; Singers O’Connor and Tony Bennet; Swift Quake; Movies, ‘Barbenheimer’.

Everywhere

The Odessa Fire

Russia has been launching near-constant attacks on the Ukraine Port City of Odessa, off the Black Sea, since it withdrew from a landmark grain deal – which allowed Ukraine’s grain production to safely leave Port – last week. Russian missiles strikes badly damaged The Transfiguration Cathedral, which is an UNESCO world heritage-listed historic centre. It is Odessa’s largest Orthodox Church and was consecrated in 1809. In the year 1939, it was demolished by the then Soviet Union, and rebuilt in 2003.

The destruction is enormous with half of the cathedral left without a roof, and the central piles and foundation were destroyed. All the windows and stucco moulding were blown out.

UNESCO has been urging Russia to cease attacks on Odessa, to no avail. The city’s historic centre was designated an endangered World Heritage earlier this year, despite Russian opposition.

Spain’s Hot Summer Election

This is Spain’s first general election of modern times held in the searing, fierce heat of mid-summer, when many Spaniards are usually on holiday, probably exploring the world in there own Armadas.

Spain went to the polls in a Election that offered a choice of two starkly contrasting visions: the Socialist Left and the Conservative Right.Two extremes: that’s becoming the norm across many countries in recent times.

Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez, who is Prime Minister (PM) since 2018 hoped the government’s social reforms and its handling of a strongly performing economy will win over voters. His Spanish Socialist Workers Party has been lagging in polls behind the conservative People’s Party (PP) led by Alberto Nunez Feijoo, who wants to roll back many of the socialist reforms of Sanchez.

In the results that were declared this week the conservative Right coalition, which was expected to win, secured only 169 seats. The socialist Left won 153 seats – 122 by Sanchez’s Party and 31 by Minister Yolanda Diaz’s, Sumar.

Both the Left and the Right were far from an absolute majority of 176 seats in Spain’s 350-seat Parliament.

The PP obtained 136 seats – 47 more than 4 years ago. The far-right Vox Party scored 33 seats – 19 less than in 2019 – which adds up to a total of 169 seats in a coalition. With the Vox Party achieving a result worse than in 2019, Feijoo’s chances of forming a PP majority coalition government with it were dashed. If the Vox Party had done better and helped form a government, it would have meant the first far-right involvement in government since ‘Francoist Spain’ under the dictatorship of Francisco Franco Bahamonde, which ended in 1975.

On its part to obtain the 176 seats, Sanchez’s party would need a total of 23 more seats, and their traditional allies in Parliament – all regional parties- together have 19 seats.

The election results have created uncertainty with regards to the future of the next government – causing a possible deadlock. Now they march to the King of Spain to discuss government formation.

PM Pedro Sanchez called the early election after his Party and its far-left partner, Unidas Podemos, were defeated in local and regional elections in May. The move seems to have paid off, though slightly below expectations.

Meanwhile, the King of Spain’s fabulously tailored suits were the hot buzz during the Wimbledon Tennis Tournament: winning praise for the excellent tailoring. And I enjoyed the threads on the science behind them. Some skills His Royal Highness could use to stitch together a government?

Iraq and Sweden: Burning

Last week, Iraq kicked out Sweden’s Ambassador and asked its own Affairs in-Charge in Sweden to pack and return home, amid heightened tensions between the two countries over burning of the Holy Quran.

Last month, Sweden granted permission to an Iraqi refugee to burn the Quran during broader anti-Islam protests outside a Stockholm mosque. Then last week, another planned Quran burning protest was scheduled to take place by the same refugee, who stomped on the holy book. Iraqi protesters responded by storming and setting fire to parts of Sweden’s embassy in Baghdad. Now, Iraq is threatening to sever diplomatic ties with Sweden amid the turmoil and has revoked a Swedish telecom giant’s license to operate in Iraq. For the moment, it’s a tit-for-tat state of affairs between the countries.

How does Sweden allow the burning and the stomping?

Sweden has one of the world’s strongest legal protections for freedom of expression. Sweden’s Constitution guarantees the right to freedom of expression on any subject, including ‘expressions of opinion that question religious messages, or that can be perceived as hurtful to the believer’. It also scrapped its blasphemy laws in the 1970s. That’s the stage!

Niger Coup

African nations are no strangers to coups and this week it was Niger’s turn.

Niger is a vast, arid country on the edge of the Sahara desert and one of the poorest nations in the world.

On 26 July, soldiers said they have ousted President Mohamed Bazoum, closed the country’s borders, and dissolved Niger’s Constitution. In a national TV address, security forces said the inevitable: ‘a deteriorating security situation and bad governance’ led to the coup. The announcement was made by Colonel Major Amadou Abdramane, alongside nine other uniformed soldiers behind him: “We, the defence and security forces… have decided to put an end to the regime you know”.

President Bazoum is a key Western ally in the fight against Islamist militancy in West Africa. Two neighbouring countries, Mali and Burkina Faso, have experienced coups triggered by jihadist uprisings in recent years. In both countries the new military leaders have fallen out with France, the former colonial power, which also formerly ruled Niger. A French connection?

Greece Fires

Greece has been bracing itself for intense heat last weekend, with meteorologists warning that temperatures could climb as high as 45 degrees Centigrade (113F).

People had been advised to stay home, and tourist sites – including Athens’ ancient Acropolis – was shut during the hottest days. It turned into Greece’s hottest July weekend in 50 years.

In the Greek Island of Rhodes, thousands of people were evacuated from homes and hotels after wildfires engulfed large parts of the island. More than 3,500 people have been evacuated by land and sea to safety. A further 1,200 were evacuated from three villages – Pefki, Lindos, and Kalathos.

Meanwhile, firefighters are continuing to battle dozens of wildfires. The island has been battling wildfires fanned by strong winds since last Tuesday, as Europe deals with a challenging heatwave.

What sparked the fires is yet to be ascertained: arsonists? climate change?

Meanwhile, Greece rightfully declared it is at war with the flames.

On the sidelines, The United Nations stepped-in to say, ‘The era of global warming has ended. The era of global boiling has arrived’. And warnings of unbreathable air and unbearable temperatures is what lies ahead. And Scientists hurried to add that this month is the hottest ever in 1,20,000 years.

India Onwards to the Moon

India’s Chandrayaan-3, which took off from Earth on 14 July on mission to land on the Moon is heading in the right direction. Orbit raising manoeuvres to gradually lift the spacecraft and leave the Earth’s gravity and orbit have been successfully completed. And the next firing, to kick it into the Trans Lunar Orbit on the way to the Moon is scheduled on 1st August. Chandrayaan-3 is following the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) script to the dot, as it inches closer to the Moon.

Singers No More

This week on 26 July, Irish singer, Sinead O’Connor, 56, was found unresponsive in her London Apartment and subsequently declared dead. The death was not teated as suspicious and the medical reason is yet to be ascertained.

The feminist firebrand known for her trademark bald-head appearance was best known for her 1990 song, ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’ written by Prince – the track made O-Connor a global star, partly due to its iconic video.

Two weeks ago, O’Connor had told her fans that she had recently moved back to London after a 23-year absence – and she was very happy to be home.

Sinead O’ Connor’s debut album, ‘The Lion and the Cobra’, was released in 1987 and charted internationally. He second studio album, ‘I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got’, 1990, became her biggest success selling over seven million copies worldwide. It’s lead single, ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’ was named the number one world single in 1990, by Billboard Music Awards.

O’Conner had a troubled past and spoke of being sexually abused by her parents as a child, saying she was in agony. She consistently spoke out on issues related to child abuse, human rights, racism, organised religion, and women’s rights. She struggled with her mental health and had been dealing with the loss of her 17-year-old son, who died by suicide last year.

In 1999, O’Connor was ordained as priest by the Latin Tridentine Church – not recognised by the main stream Catholic Church. In 2017 she changed her name to Magda Davitt. After converting to Islam in 2018, she became Shuhada Sadaqat.

O’Connor had four children and was married and divorced four times.

Last week saw the passing of another music legend, American jazz and traditional pop singer, Tony Bennet, 97, who died in his home. He had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and was suffering from it for many years.

He won 20 Grammy Awards; sold more than 50 million records worldwide; earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame; broke the Guinness book of World records for the oldest person to release an album of new material at the age of 95 years and 60 days; among many other remarkable achievements in a long singing career.

His signature song, in 1962, ‘I left my heart in San Francisco’, lingers in the heart!

In other swift music news, Singer Taylor Swift is on a music tour. And after two nights of earth-shaking dancing at Swift’s ‘Eras’ tour concert at Lumen Field, Seattle, USA, enthusiastic ‘Swifties’ caused seismic activity equivalent of a 2.3 magnitude earthquake, according to a seismologist. The ‘Swift Quake’ has been compared to the 2011 ‘Beast Quake’, when Seattle Seahawks fans erupted after an impressive touchdown by running-back Marshawn ‘Beast Mode’ Lynch.

Please Yourself

Amid the ongoing, no-end-in-sight Hollywood Writers’ and Actors’ Union strike two much anticipated movies hit the theatres late last week: ‘Barbie’ and ‘Oppenheimer’. Fans got to watch Greta Gerwig’s take on life in plastic and Christopher Nolan’s biopic on the scientist behind the atom bomb. The two films, dubbed ‘Barbenheimer,’ had already sold over 40,000 tickets combined worldwide before release. Though the Unions Strike threaten to hurt the film industry, which lost around $7 billion during the pandemic, the shows must go on. Oppenheimer and Barbie are expected to bring in USD 40 million and USD 80 million respectively in their opening weekend.

This week Barbie did fabulously well at the Box Office -the famous pink was splashed all over Town- and appears to be on its way to becoming a blockbuster success.

Barbie is a fantasy comedy film directed by Greta Gerwig and written by Gerwig and Noah Baumbach. It is based on the Barbie fashion dolls by Mattel. The film follows Barbie – played by Actress Margot Robbie – and Ken – Ryan Gosling- on a journey of self-discovery.

While Barbie dolled-up the Box-Office, Oppenheimer got itself entangled in a ‘spiritual bomb incident’ over the way the Hindu Holy book, Bhagavad Gita was read and portrayed in a scene in the movie.

More pink and other colourful stories coming-up in the weeks ahead. Stay cool with World Inthavaaram.

WORLD INTHAVAARAM, 2023-29

About: the world this week 16 July to 22 July 2023. The grains of Ukraine; Manipur situation; the new largest office building in the World; Wimbledon Tennis; and AIDS.

Everywhere

Russia and Ukraine

This week, Russia announced that it would no longer allow Ukraine to export its grain by sea. Last year, the United Nations brokered the Black Sea Grain Initiative so that Ukraine’s ships could safely bypass Russia’s blockade and get grain to the rest of the world. Now, Russia says it’s pulling out of the deal because of the crippling Western sanctions. This could destabilise global food prices and push 47 million people worldwide into famine or hunger. The European Union is scrambling to find alternative routes, by rail, through Eastern Europe.

Now, one day after the announcement, Russia attacked a Ukrainian grain Port. And launched a series of missile attacks on other cities.

There was a commotion over the United State’s decision to send cluster bombs to Ukraine after Ukraine warned that it was running out of ammunition in its counter-offensive against Russia. The cluster bombs have arrived and said to be used ‘wisely’ by Ukraine. And the war continues.

Manipur

India’s State of Manipur is in the deadly grip of ethnic violence, and this week pictures of women of one community being paraded naked by another community shook and stirred the conscience of India. The incident happened on 4th May, but the videos were released only on 19th July – one reason mentioned is that the internet was shut-down in Manipur.

The situation in Manipur is not a one-dimensional one. Read World Inthavaarm 2027 https://kumargovindan.com/2023/07/08/world-inthavaaram-2023-27/on early history of the conflict. About the Meities, the Kuki’s, and the Naga communities, and the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). Adding more this week.

Women bear the brunt of violence during communal and ethnic riots and we rarely see the perpetrators brought to justice. And if at all arrested, they promptly get bail. In Manipur, violence against women has been a particularly resonant issue ever since the remarkable grass-roots movement for civil rights, Meira Paibi – Women Torch Bearers- in the 1970s. The Meria Paibi fought human rights violations by the paramilitary and armed forces against innocent people. It’s now run by five women leaders, known as ‘imas’ or mothers.

Going back in time, on 15 July 2004, it was that radical protest by 12 Manipuri women, who disrobed themselves and stood in protest at the historic Kangla Fort in Imphal-then the headquarters of the Assam Rifles-carrying banners with messages painted in red. ‘Indian Army Rape Us’, read one. ‘Indian Army Take Our Flesh’, said another. The women were protesting against the brutal killing of Manorama Thangjam, a 32 years old woman who had been picked up by the Assam Rifles under suspicious circumstances. Manorama’s bullet-riddled body was found near a paddy field, hours later. The case was a flashpoint in Manipur and forced the administration to address human rights violations by the Central Forces during the peak of the insurgency-when the various communities of the Hills and Valleys in Manipur were fighting each other.

Recall that a woman, Irom Chanu Sharmila’s 16 year long hunger strike for the repeal of AFSPA contributed towards changing the discourse on insurgency in the State.

The Assam Rifles is a central paramilitary force responsible for border security, counter-insurgency, and maintaining law and order in Northeast India. It primarily guards the Indo-Myanmar border. And is one of the Central Armed Police Forces administered by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The AFSPA was used sporadically in the hill districts of Manipur to tackle insurgency before being imposed across the whole state in 1980. Resentment against the security forces’ alleged excesses began as early as 1974, when a local woman committed suicide after she was allegedly raped by a Border Security Force officer, who faced no action for the suspected crime.

In March this year, in a significant move, the Central Government had withdrawn AFSPA from certain areas in Manipur, citing ‘significant improvement in the law and order situation’.

There is another angle to the Manipur situation, a destabilising factor: armed insurgents from Myanmar-many of whom have kinship ties with transnational ethnic communities straddling India and its immediate neighbours-slipping into the northeastern states through the porous border and adding to the complexity of Kuki-Meitei clashes and exacerbating the ongoing conflict in Manipur.

To escape the crackdown by neighbouring Myanmar’s military regime, ethnic Kuki-Chin (the Chin are an ethnic community native of the Chin state of Myanmar) people have entered India by thousands since the Myanmar coup in 2021. According to figures from UNHCR -the refugee agency of the United Nations- the ongoing civil war in Myanmar has displaced 1,827,000 people since February 2021, among which over 53000, mostly from the conflict-ridden Chin state and Sagaing region of Myanmar-the hotbed of armed resistance against the junta-have entered India’s northeastern states of Mizoram and Manipur till the month of May 2023.

In the last week of April this year, a random identification drive by the Manipur Government as part of the population commission’s work -which was was set up last year to track illegal immigration- identified about 2180 undocumented Myanmar nationals in the districts of Chandel, Churachandpu, andTengnoupal. These are Kuki-dominated districts along the Myanmar border.

During the recent All-Party meet in Manipur, India’s Home Minister said biometrics of people coming from across the border are being recorded and “for a permanent solution” to the instability in Manipur, “we have set up wired fencing across 10 kilometres (km) of the Manipur-Myanmar border on a trial basis, work tender has been invited for fencing on another 80 km, and a survey for fencing the rest of the Manipur-Myanmar border is being initiated.”

Now to the last angle – the drug angle- without which the complex web of issues behind the ethnic clashes in Manipur will remain incomplete; a reference that has repeatedly cropped up during high-level interactions between India and Myanmar.

Myanmar has become the ‘largest producer of illegal drugs within the infamous Golden Triangle—a tri-junction at the Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand borders that makes its way to India through the porous border.

Supply of drugs from the Golden Triangle remains a persisting problem. In recent times, however, poppy cultivation has proliferated in the hilly areas of Manipur and the Narcotics trade is playing a significant role in the Manipur violence. And drug cartels are utilising large chunks of the hilly districts for ‘quality poppy cultivation’.

While Kuki-Chin ingress has happened in Manipur over decades, what has happened over the past few years is an explosion in poppy cultivation in Manipur’s Kuki-dominated districts backed by drug cartels and insurgent groups with a cross-border network, resulting in huge loss of forest cover: a problem that aggravated since the Myanmar 2021 military coup when the influx of the persecuted Kuki-Chin community intensified. It is believed that a section of these illegal immigrants is being used by the drug and weapon cartels in Manipur.

As Manipur shifts its status from a transit route for drugs to a major producer, fuelled by armed refugees from Myanmar, observers say opium cultivation in Manipur seems to be more integrated within the regional drug economy and connected to other actors, notably from Myanmar.

The present Government of Manipur has tackled the drug menace to a great extent and about INR 1500 crore of drugs were busted in the past few years.

It is evident that a knotty vortex of issues has contributed to instability in Manipur besides the said majoritarianism of one community.

Yet, even though women have led the political discourse on rights, they continue to be prime targets for mobs in times of strife.

Surat

For 80 long years, The Pentagon of the United States of America was the world’s largest office building with about 6.6 million square feet of floor space. Now a new building in India just whacked-off that title: the Surat Diamond Bourse, built in India’s gem capital, Surat, Gujarat, India – about 240km north of Mumbai.

The Belgian city of Antwerp may be known as the world’s diamond trading hub, while most rough stones are mined in Russia or Africa. But it is in Surat, where around 90% of all the planet’s diamonds are cut.

Spanning over 35 acres of land, the sprawling 15-storey Surat Diamond Bourse complex with 7.1 million square feet of floor space accommodates 4,700 offices and 131 elevators. It has been constructed to house the diamond industry – to serve as a one stop shop for over 65,000 diamond professionals, including cutters, polishers and traders. It features a series of nine interconnected rectangular structures emanating from a central ‘spine’, resembling the layout of an airport terminal.

The state-of-the-art building has features designed to consume up to 50% less energy, qualifying it for a ‘platinum’ rating from the Indian Green Building Council. It incorporates a radiant cooling system that circulates chilled water beneath its floors, which will reduce indoor temperatures. Further, solar energy powers the common areas within the building.

The mammoth office space will save people’s time and resources: especially those who travel to Mumbai, with some people have to spend up to four hours, daily, to come from their homes to their offices and back home again.

The project took about four years to complete, including two years of COVID19 pandemic related delay. The building will be officially opened later this year by India’s Prime Minister, and host its first occupants in November.

The Surat Diamond Bourse is designed by Indian architecture firm Morphogenesis, based in New Delhi, following an international design competition. The project’s size was dictated by demand with all offices purchased by diamond companies prior to construction.

The design was also influenced by Morphogenesis’ research into how the Indian diamond trade operates. The series of nine 1.5-acre courtyards, complete with seating and water features, serve as casual meeting places for traders; the landscaped area becomes the ‘traditional bazaar’ where any informal transactions take place outside the office environment. Email orders are probably taken inside, but human-to-human transactions are almost all outside. The courtyards are described a public parks where it is assumed all these activities will take place.

The Moon

India’s Moon-mission spacecraft Chandrayaan-3 is enjoying the ‘space sights’ on its way to the Moon and is in superb health, since its launch last week. India’s ISRO Scientists have been manoeuvring it gradually to longer orbits around the Earth and a 4th such manoeuvre was also completed this week. The last will be on 25 July after which it will be nudged into the lunar transfer trajectory to the Moon. Likewise, it will dance around the Moon before deciding to land.

Wondered why is takes more than 40 days to cover the nearly 3,84,000 km distance between the Earth and Moon when the USA, Russia and China do it under a week’s time?

India does not, as yet, have a powerful enough launcher to take it directly to the lunar transfer trajectory, hence this less costly means of cleverly using the Earth’s gravity to slingshot out of the Earth’s pull and then get into the lunar orbit. And again squeezing every bit of the Moon’s low gravity to make a soft landing.

Tennis

This year’s Wimbledon Tennis Championship in London, which ended this Sunday, served us two brand new winners in the Women’s Singles, and the Men’s Singles.

Czechoslovakia’s ‘much-tattooed’ 24 years old Marketa Vondrousova beat Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur in straight-sets 6-4, 6-4 to clinch her maiden Wimbledon Women’s Singles Title. Vondrousova is also a silver medallist at the 2020/2021 Tokyo Olympics. And she is the first unseeded player to win the Wimbledon Women’s Singles.

She got the first of many tattoos on her arms at the age of sixteen. And some have special significance, such as her lucky number 13, the Olympic Rings, and the quote, ‘No rain, no flowers’ (success does not come easily) above her right elbow. After winning Wimbledon, she and her coach Jan Hernych plan to get a matching tattoo in celebration-they pledged to so do if she won. A tattoo parlour in Prague, Czechoslovakia is their next destination!

But, the best was in the Men’s Singles.

Spain’s 20 years old Carlos Alcaraz beat Russia’s Daniil Medvedev in the semi-finals and went on to stun and end Serbia’s Novak Djokovic’s reign with a classic and enthralling 1-6, 7-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 match. It was a four hours and forty-two minute battle on the Centre Court of the All England Club. Last year, Alcaraz became the youngest player to earn the year-end World No. 1 honour. And this is his first Wimbledon Title – keeping the World No.1 ranking.

Djokovic holds this year’s Australian Open and French Open Titles and was aiming to equal Roger Federer’s record of eight Wimbledon titles and match Margaret Court’s all time record of 24 Grand Slam victories.

Margaret Court is an Australian former World No 1 women’s tennis player and considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time. Her 24 major singles titles and overall 64 major titles (doubles and mixed-doubles) is the most by anyone in Tennis history. She dominated women’s tennis in the 1960s with a powerful serve and volley game, and retired in 1972.

About, the new Wimbledon Champion, the best comment from Djokovic himself, “People have been talking about his game consisting of certain elements from Roger, Rafa, and myself. I’d agree with that, He’s basically got the best of all three worlds…I haven’t played a player like him ever”.

AIDS

Long before the COVID19 pandemic stole our breath away another not so contagious but nevertheless deadly pandemic ruled the world: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) caused by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). And we still do not have an effective cure for it since it first came to light in the 1980s.

A new report says that the end may be in sight for AIDS. The Joint United Nations (UN) Program on HIV and AIDS says that Botswana, Eswatini, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe have all reached ’95-95-95’ targets, meaning 95% of the people who are living with HIV know their status, 95% of those people are on lifesaving antiretroviral treatment, and 95% of people in treatment are virally suppressed.

Across eastern and Southern Africa, new HIV infections have been reduced by 57% since 2010. Also since 2010, the percentage of pregnant and breastfeeding women living with HIV who have access to antiretroviral treatment has nearly doubled, and new infections among children have more than halved.

There’s more work to be done, but the UN said the world could end AIDS by 2030 if we stay the course keep-up the investment from World leaders.

More clusters of stories will be fired in the weeks ahead. Stay safe with World Inthavaaram.

WORLD INTHAVAARAM, 2023-28

About: the world this week 9 July to 15 July 2023. A Defence Alliance summit; politics in the Netherlands; a disease outbreak in Peru; floods all over the World; poll violence in India; onwards to the Moon; Hollywood strikes; Badminton and Tennis stories; and a transgender beauty.

Everywhere

NATO Summit

This week, leaders from the 31 countries in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) military alliance met in Lithuania’s Vilnius, on a two-day event. They discussed the war in Ukraine, defence spending, and Sweden and Ukraine’s membership. At least one of those is making progress. Sweden is now on its way to joining NATO, after finally gaining Turkey’s support. As for Ukraine, NATO’s Secretary General said that the NATO will extend an official invitation once the ongoing war with Russia is over with an accelerated process. And in the meantime Ukraine will be supported with arms, ammunition, and kind, to keep up their spirits.

Turkey’s argument for keeping Sweden out of NATO was that it is harbouring Kurdish separatists whom Turkey has designated as terrorists. Sweden has toughened its stance against the PKK (the Kurdish militant group) and lifted restrictions on arms sales to Turkey.

Go Dutch

Netherlands is heading to the polls in November 2023 following a collapse of the current four-party coalition Government headed by Prime Minister (PM) Mark Rutte of the VVD – People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy. The other coalition parties are, Democrats 66, Christian Democratic Appeal, and Christian Union.

The coalition parties disagreed over asylum policies and were split in crisis talks chaired by the PM, late last week. The PM had been trying to limit the flow of asylum seekers, following a row last year about overcrowded migration centres, which were opposed by other coalition partners. Asylum applications in the Netherlands jumped by over a third last year to more than 47,000, and about 70,000 applications are expected in 2023. PM Rutte tried to force through a plan, which included a cap on the number of relatives of war refugees allowed into the Netherlands at just 200 people per month. A compromise proposal, known as the ‘emergency brake’, which would only trigger the restrictions in the event of an excessively high influx of migrants, was not enough to save the government. The four parties could not reach an agreement on migration, and therefore decided to end the Government.

Mark Rutte at age 56, is the country’s longest serving Prime Minister. He has been in office since 2010 – heading different coalitions. The current government, which took office in January 2022, is his fourth coalition.

The Farmer-Citizen Movement, which became the biggest party in the upper house of parliament after a shock election win in March this year, said they will not serve in any future government led by Mark Rutte. Wait until November!

Gulliain-Barre Syndrome

Peru has declared a national emergency after an unusual outbreak of rising cases of Gulliain-Barre Syndrome (GBS), a rare autoimmune disorder triggered by an acute bacterial or viral infection. The serious, but rare neurological disorder affects the nerves and causes weakness in the muscles, and even paralysis. Symptoms include back pain, numbness or tingling sensation in feet and arms, loss of reflexes and breathing difficulties.

Four people have died and over 180 cases have been reported. Peru had a similar outbreak in 2019. And now the country is struggling with the worst dengue outbreak in its recorded history, this year.

What does GBS do to the human body?

In a person with GSB, the immune system starts attacking healthy cells instead of sick cells. The Myelin sheaths (a layer that wraps around the nerve cells/neurons) of the peripheral nerves are attacked and prevents neves from sending certain information, such as touch sensations, to the spinal cord and brain. This causes a feeling of numbness. In addition the brain and spinal cord can no longer transmit signals back to the body, leading to muscle weakness.

Causes are unknown but it normally sets in after an infection. Two in every three people with GBS had diarrhoea or a respiratory illness several weeks before developing GBS symptoms. There is no specific cure but symptoms can be treated and the disease managed. On the positive side, it is not contagious and cannot spread from one person to another.

Floods

Floods in North India watered the states of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir, and Delhi – an outcome of the Monsoon’s torrential rains.

The summer Monsoon brings South Asia 70-80% of its annual rainfall, as well as death and destruction due to flooding and landslides.

In the northern state of Himachal Pradesh, flash floods over the last weekend brought down a bridge and swept away several hutments. Many districts in the State received a month’s normal rainfall in a single day.

Streets across the northern states, including in Punjab, Delhi, and Uttarakhand, were flooded. In some areas, rescue personnel used rubber rafts to rescue people stranded inside their homes.

Roads in several parts of New Delhi were submerged in knee-deep water as it was inundated with 153mm of rain, the highest in a single day in July in 40 years. The River Yamuna has crossed the danger mark of 206 metres in Delhi, prompting the relocation of people residing in flood-prone areas to safer locations.

Delhi, Punjab, and Himachal Pradesh have received 112%, 100% and 70% more rainfall than average so far in the current monsoon season that started on 1st June.

Floods are flooding the news not only in India but in the United States where deadly floods stumped the north-east, while heatwaves set to boil much of the southern and western United States, kicking off a week of dangerous weather as warnings about the climate crisis intensify.

Flash floods overwhelmed New York’s Hudson Valley. And flood warnings were still in place in parts of nearby Vermont this week, as the state capital Montpelier’s downtown was under water and officials fear a local dam could fail for the first time since it was built, threatening further inundation.

Japan too joined the flood-bath. Three people were killed and three others are missing in flooding in southwest Japan caused by the region’s ‘heaviest’ rain ever. Rivers overflowed and hillsides collapsed as record amounts of rain were dumped on parts of Kyushu island. The national weather agency logged 402.5mm falling in Kurume this Monday, the highest ever recorded in the city. Roads and power-lines were cut, and thousands were ordered to evacuate as further downpours were expected. The Japanese Meteorological Agency, said the rains were perhaps ‘the heaviest ever experienced’ in the region.

Poll Violence

A democracy places at its cornerstone a simple mechanism for people to choose who will govern the country or their immediate locality and deliver on improving the quality of their lives: voting. Periodically, people vote for candidates of political parties in free and fair elections – ensured by the ruling Government- which is almost always followed by a peaceful transition of power, at least in India.

In perhaps one of the worst poll-related violence seen in recent times more than 25 people were killed during the civic body elections in India’s State of West Bengal. The mayhem, intimidation and ransacking that have accompanied the Panchayat Polls in the State last fly in the face of fundamental principles of democracy and underline a stark reality: the fairness of the election is under a cloud.

Several districts reported booth capturing, damaged ballot boxes, and attacks on presiding officers. This violence is not an aberration in West Bengal: It is entrenched in the state’s political culture, with parties in government — the Trinamool Congress (TMC) now, and the Communist Part of India (CPM) and Congress before it — wielding it to control the street, and thereby monopolise state power.

This time, in village after village, the ruling party systematically used bombs, barricades and cadres to ensure that opposition candidates and supporters were unable to move about on polling day. Where they have the clout to do so, some opposition parties have acted in a similar manner. As a result of the violence in the run-up to filing nominations last month, the High Court had ordered that central forces be deployed in the state. But the onus of ensuring a safe election is not on the uniformed personnel alone-the political class in the state, especially the ruling party and State Election Commission, bears a lion’s share of that responsibility. From the 1960s until the 1990s, tactics such as booth capturing and intimidation of voters and polling officials defined electoral politics in many states, including Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Most of India has rejected that form of politics and moved on. However, West Bengal still lives with it.

India heads to the Moon

India aims to put its man on the Moon in the future. And in the run-up it’s testing out end-to-end capability in safe landing and ‘moon-roaming’.

Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) Chandrayaan-3 is a follow-up on Chandrayaan-2 which got to the moon and its Lander swooned just above the surface of the Moon and crash-landed when the Moon was expecting a soft kiss on its rugged cheeks. ISRO is now wiser and hopes to keep the Lander ‘in check’ and from ‘falling too quick’ to the charms of the Moon.

India launched Chandrayaan-3 it’s unmanned spacecraft to the Moon with a flawless lift-off from base Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, this friday afternoon using the time-tested launch vehicle LVM3.

Chandrayaan-3 consists of a Propulsion Module (PM), a Lander Module – Vikram, and a Rover – Pragyan. The PM will carry Vikram, with Pragyan safely ensconced inside, on an orbit around the Earth; and then gradually take it into a lunar transfer trajectory after which it will inject Vikram into the lunar orbit at about 100km from the Moon’s surface. After orbiting around the Moon and getting closer, Vikram will be de-boosted to land with the Propulsion Module separating and saying good bye. Vikram will then softly touch-down on the Lunar South Pole region – previously unexplored – and after giving the Moon a few winks, will open its doors for Praygan to roll out and roam the Moon.

The Moon Landing is scheduled on 23 August 2023. If successful, India will be the fourth nation to land on the Moon after the United States, Russia, and China.

Hollywood Strikes

Hollywood’s Actors and Writers are on a strike. And this is the first time two Unions – Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) and the Writers Guild of America (WGA)- are doing this together. The last time was in 1960 when future United States President Ronald Reagan led the strike.

Actors Tom Cruise, Angelina Jolie, Johnny Depp are card-holding members of the SAG-AFTRA and are lending their fire-power and magic.

The strike follows a row over pay and the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) with film studios and streaming services and failing to reach an agreement on how to go about it. The Unions are worrying about contracts keeping up with inflation, residual payments in the streaming era and safeguards against the use of AI mimicking their work on film and television shows.

Sports

This week, India’s Lakshya Sen, ranked 19th in the World, won the men’s single title at the Badminton World Federation (BWF)’s 58th Canadian Open 2023. He defeated China’s Li Shi Feng, the reigning All England Champion, in straight games, 21-18 and 22-20.

This remarkable victory marks Sen’s second BWF World Tour Title. His previous triumph was at the India Open, in January 2022.

Sen displayed amazing talent and ability to excel under pressure outclassing his opponent. The match was filled with extraordinary rallies, characterized by fast-paced exchanges at the net. Sen saved four game points in the second game before clinching the championship point with a decisive smash.

The Wimbledon Tennis Tournament is rallying to a close in London and in the Women’s Singles Finals it’s Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur versus Czechoslovakia’s Marketa Vondrousova. Both reached the finals coming through enthralling semi-finals at the All England Club, and are seeking their maiden Grand Slam title having previously fallen short in major finals.

Meanwhile in the Men’s Singles, Serbia’s Novak Djokovic beat Italian Jannik Sinner to enter the finals. Djokovic will face either Carlos Alcaraz or Daniil Medvedev, in Sunday’s final where he is bidding to tie Roger Federer’s record by lifting an eighth Wimbledon crown.

Please Yourself

Rikkie Valerie Kolle has made history as the first transgender woman to win the Miss Netherlands Title. It’s the first time in the Dutch pageant’s 94-year history that a transgender woman has been crowned winner.

It means the 22 year old will be the second openly transgender competitor to take part in Miss Universe in December this year. Rikkie says she dreamed of winning pageants like this as a child. “The journey started as a super insecure little boy,” she said. “And now I’m standing here as a strong and empowering and confident woman. I’m really proud of that”.

More gripping stories will be launched in the weeks ahead. Roam the world with World Inthavaaram.

WORLD INTHAVAARAM, 2023-27

About: stories of weeks gone by 21 to 26, the end of May and the whole of June, and this week, 2nd to 8th July. I was travelling to the United Kingdom and Europe for a first-hand touch of places. And, often a well-deserved hiatus sharpens your thoughts. Here I go, for the cut.

Everywhere

Gone Weeks

India inaugurated a brand new Parliament Building on 28th May, built in a record time of over two years. This was much needed, to get rid of the old colonial-minded building, and to accommodate India’s ever growing population: meaning more Members of Parliament -for a deeper representation – who will fill-in the seats, in the years ahead. Sound-proof, with undetachable seats and objects, and an in-built ruckus prevention system, I hope!

India’s new Parliament certainly rocks and most of the Opposition Parties cited sudden, mysterious reasons to stay away. They created a problem where none existed, for one, that the President of India must inaugurate and not the Prime Minister. They were deeply jealous that the Prime Minister got the new building plan executed to perfection when they tried to prevent its construction-as wasteful-in the first place.

Diving deeper, the Government came up with a stunner: installing the ‘Sengol’ in the New Parliament. A Sengol is a ‘dharma (righteousness) sceptre’ which symbolizes authority, sovereignty, virtual and ethical rule, and is highly spoken of in the ancient Tamil texts of Southern India. The sceptre bears a ‘Nandi’ (bull) and an image of Goddess Lakshmi, both of which mean wealth and prosperity. The Sengol was made under the directions of a 500 years old Saivaite monastery- the Thiruvaduthurai Atheenam- in Tamil Nadu, and given to Jawaharlal Nehru as a way of blessing his role as the first Prime Minister of India. This when the country obtained independence from the British in 1947 and was taking its first baby democratic steps. It symbolically represented the transfer of power from the British, and was later packed-off to a museum in Allahabad and its significance conveniently forgotten.

The wrestling on action against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh is in a corner, ahead of the next bout. The WFI President insisted that he is not guilty, and to hang him if indeed any one of the allegations against him is found true. The Police are investigating, and the Courts are waiting to judge. Despite a tenacious, muscular match on the streets seeking dismissal of Brij Bhushan, the Govt stood firm on the mat, and finally the Wrestlers called off the protests agreeing to continue grappling in the Courts.

India’s Northeastern State of Manipur is burning with riots, arson, and attacks becoming the order of the day with two warring ethnic communities, the Meitei and the Kuki going after each other.

The Manipur issue is a complex one going back over many decades. Two communities-actually three-locked in a conflict over space, on the land, and in the mind.

The Meities who are about 53% of Manipur’s population are traditional owners and rulers of the land living in 10% of the area, in the valleys and plains, while the Kukis and allied tribes who came if from Myanmar -thanks to the British- are about 28% of the population occupying the hills, which is about 90% of the area. They share the hills with the another traditional land owner, the Nagas who once used to invade the Meities in the plains beating the living daylights out of them. All of these ethnic groups, at different points of history, wanted an independent country of Manipur or an independent state and formed insurgency groups to achieve this before and after Manipur joined the Indian Union. On account of this, Manipur was for long called a ‘disturbed’ State and the Indian Army given special powers under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) 1958 to maintain law & order.

The present conflict is mainly between the Meities and the Kukis, and began when the Meities demanded that they be included in the Scheduled Tribe Status List and petitioned the Manipur High Court to sent a recommendation to this effect to the Central Government. A fault line opened-up: even past rulers of the land wanted to be called a ‘Schedule Tribe (ST)’ to enjoy reservations in the Government, amongst other ‘green’ benefits. But there is a catch as not being a ST the Meities cannot buy land in the Hills whereas the Nagas & Kukis holding ST status can buy land in the hills, and also the valleys. Basic instincts of survival and progression of the clan rose to the surface. And the communities went berserk with the ‘spaces belonging to them’ being threatened.

The 2023 Archery World Cup, also known as the Hyundai Archery World Cup-for sponsorship reasons-is the 17th edition of the international archery circuit organised annually by World Archery. The 2023 World Cup consist of four events, and will run from 19th April to August, followed by a Grand Finale in which all finalists of the four events will participate. The first event was held in Antalya, Turkey. And the second, the Stage 2 was held in China’s Shanghai during the month of May. Upcoming are competitions is Colombia’s Medellin, and France’s Paris, and a grand finale in Mexico’s Hermosillo.

The end of Stage 2 was a proud moment for India, when 19 year old Prathamesh Samadhan Jawkar won Gold. He pulled off a major upset defeating world Number 1 Mike Schloesser. Technically, Prathamesh Samadhan is the new Archery World Champion. On another lane, 18 years old Kaur Avneet Kaur won the bronze medal in the Women’s event.

India is the land of fictional archery greats from Ekalavya, Arjuna, and Karna of the Mahabharata, to Lord Rama and Lakshmana of the Ramayana. Recall that Guru Dronacharya realising that Ekalavya was superior to Arjuna in archery, demanded his thumb as Guru Dakshana (offering), as Drona had promised Arjuna that he would make Arjuna the greatest archer in the world!

Outside India, Robin Hood and Horace Ford were famous with the bow in England; William Tell -shooting an apple off his son’s head fame-is an archery folk hero of Switzerland; Minamoto no Tametomo a Japanese samurai who sank an entire Taira ship with a single arrow – his left hand was 15cm longer than his right, which allowed him to draw the bow longer and make more powerful shots. Then there is Artemis in Greek mythology often seen hunting with a bow & arrow. Archery has a quiver-full of history and stories worth exploring.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi led a Yoga Show at the United Nations and got the world to twist and turn to the ancient magic of India. He followed it up with a brilliant visit to the United States to strengthen ties between the world’s largest democracies. Despite being a superb orator in Hindi and Gujarati he chose to speak in clear English and the Opposition in India wasted our time in finding pronunciation faults.

Russia’s seemingly invincible President Vladimir Putin suddenly seemed fragile – exposing a chink in his armour-when a crisis unfolded in Russia in the last week of June. Putin faced an insurrection from an ally, Yevgeniy Prigozhin, and the Russian mercenary fighters – the Wagner Group- he leads when they began marching to ‘take’ Moscow.

For the moment, the situation appears to have de-escalated. The forces answering to Prigozhin, the Wagner Group chief, halted their march toward Moscow and turned around, as Prigozhin was offered safe passage to Belarus. President Alexander Lukashenko brokered an agreement between Prigozhin and Putin. Criminal charges against Prigozhin were dropped, and preparations were made for Wagner to hand over its heavy military equipment to the Russian military. The deal appears to be holding.

Since its founding nearly a decade ago, the Wagner Group has typically operated in the shadows in Ukraine, Africa and elsewhere in the world. It is not a single, traditional company, but a network of organizations providing fighters for hire-with the approval of Russia, though details remain shrouded in secrecy. Russian President said that the Wagner was ‘fully funded by the state’ though he did not say whether that cash flow would continue.

The group’s lightning blitz toward the capital-and seizure of military sites along the way-stunned the world and prompted Russian authorities to scramble to build defenses on the outskirts of Moscow and other cities. Putin had pledged to crush the revolt and portrayed its participants as traitors to the nation.

That pledge quickly went up in smoke! For a moment Ukraine caught the wind of a victory. And the Russia-Ukraine war mercilessly continues.

This Week

France is burning.

The killing of a 17 years old driver, a boy, named Nahel of Algerian descent, driving a Mercedes Benz Car, has led to unprecedented anger, violent protests, and rioting across France. Violence has gripped the European nation for the more than a week. Thousands have been arrested after 40,000 police were deployed, as there was mass rioting across France.

Buildings, including schools, town halls and the headquarters of the Paris 2024 Olympics in nearby Seine-Saint-Denis, were also torched. The historic Alcazar library, the largest public library in Marseille, was set on fire. Attackers stormed the home of suburban Paris Mayor’s home and fired rockets at his fleeing wife and children. They used a car to ram through the gates before setting it on fire.

Definitely a line has been crossed.

Nahel was an only child brought up by single-parent mother and lived in Nanterre in the western suburbs of Paris. He had been working as a takeaway delivery driver, and on the sidelines played rugby league. At 17 he was too young for a Driver’s Licence (18 being the age required). He has been the subject of many as five police checks since 2021-refusing to comply with an order to stop. Most of the trouble he got into involved cars: driving without a licence or insurance and using false number plates.

On the fateful day he was driving a yellow Mercedes with Polish number plates with two passengers – and no licence. He was stopped by the police, obviously for checks, who had the car covered with a gun. He then attempted to drive away, after which a police officer fired at the car and a bullet hit Nahel, pierced his arm and chest, killing him. And the fleeing car crashed into a near by post. One passenger was taken into custody while the other one is believed to have fled the scene.

The mother said she was angry at the accused officer rather than at police in general. “He saw a little, Arab-looking kid, he wanted to take his life,” were her words.

The ‘Police overreach’ ignited a fuse of simmering radical discrimination resulting in never before seen riots in France questing immigration policies and people being absorbed into the French mainstream. What about good parenting and following the rules?

The Israel-Palestine conflict is forever a burning, boiling cauldron. Over the past 18 months, Israel has intensified its military search, arrest and home demolition raids into Palestinian cities in the occupied West Bank, amid a sharp rise in Palestinian attacks targeting Israelis: with casualty rates on both sides reaching levels not seen in many years. Since the start of this year, at least 162 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, while 21 Israelis have been killed.

This week, Israeli troops entered a neighbourhood on the edge of the West Bank city of Jenin’s packed urban refugee camp, targeting the family home of a militant jailed by Israel. It launched one of its biggest assaults on the occupied West Bank in decades killing at least 12 Palestinians.

The Jenin camp has long been a hotbed for militants with an army of weapons and growing arsenal of explosive devices. Israel accuses militant groups of basing fighters within densely populated urban areas such as refugee camps that date back to 1948. Many militants live in these camps, often with their families.

It’s about 654 days since the Taliban banned teenage schools from schools. Afghanistan is the only country in the world preventing girls and women from getting an education as a part of state policy. Now taking another cruel step, the

Taliban have ordered beauty salons in Afghanistan to be shut down. There is no end to the misery women face in this country. What next, break all mirrors?

This Tuesday the Indian football team won its ninth South Asian Football Federation Championship (SAFF) title after beating Kuwait on penalties. At the centre of the triumph was one man -Indian captain Sunil Chhetri, 38 years old. He has served Indian football for close to two decades, inspiring a generation of players. And led India to a modest Inter-continental Cup and SAFF Championship over the last three weeks, and is currently the third highest scorer of international goals among active footballers. That brings Sunil Chhetri on the same league of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Unbeleivable, for an Indian Player.

Sunil Chhetri has 93 strikes from 142 matches – the top two positions belonging to Cristiano Ronaldo (123 goals from 200) and Lionel Messi (103 from 175).

Take a look at the all-time list and Chhetri is ranked fourth with Iranian legend Ali Daei ahead of him with 109 goals from 148 matches. What makes his story all the more exceptional is that the list of all-time best 10 footballers is populated by stars from countries with an impeccable football lineage – where Hungarian legend Ferenc Puskas holds the sixth position (84 goals) and Robert Lewandowski of Poland is ranked eighth (79 goals).

Compare that to the footballing credentials of India! The last time India had a podium finish in a major championship was a bronze more than 50 years back in the 1970 Asian Games, while their FIFA ranking has hovered around the 100-mark for as long as one can remember.

His achievements have not gone entirely unrecognised – FIFA produced a documentary on him called ‘Captain Fantastic’, last year, playing on their website. And we thought Indian cricket’s, now-retired, Mahendra Singh Dhoni was India’s only Captain Fantastic?

This week Wimbledon Tennis began playing. And for the first time in recent history, the world’s oldest tennis tournament is relaxing its Victorian-era, all-white dress code, which includes headbands, wristbands, even medical tape. Now, female players will be allowed to wear dark-colored undershorts beneath their skirts or shorts. The change, which was first announced in November, is intended to relieve ‘a potential source of anxiety,’ so athletes can focus solely on their performance. It comes after players opened up about the stress of having to wear all-white ensembles while on their period and after protests at last year’s Grand Slam.

This week’s Tuesday was the hottest day on Earth since at least 1979, with the Global Average Temperature reaching 17.18 Degrees Centigrade (62.92F). The previous record was set in August 2016 at 16.92 Degrees C (62.46F). Some scientists believe 4th July may have been one of the hottest days on Earth in around 125,000 years. Watch out. The Earth is warming for sure

More colourful stories coming up in the weeks ahead. Get that driver’s licence, follow the rules, and stay warm with World Inthavaaram.

WORLD INTHAVAARAM, 2023-20

About-the world this week, 14 May 2023 to 20 May 2023: Turkey Presidential Elections; G7 Hiroshima; Karnataka Elections, India; Tennis in Italy; and the Cannes Red Carpet.

Everywhere

Elections, Turkey

In recent times, Turkey has been grappling with many serious issues: especially economic, in the aftermath of the recent earthquake that tore through the country, and neighbouring Syria. Now it’s Election time and the current Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of the Justice and Development Party-who has been President for over two decades-has failed to secure the absolute majority needed to keep his job. He secured 49.5% of the vote, facing fierce competition from Kemal Kilicdaroglu of the Republican People’s Party, who secured 44.89%.

With voters making their voices heard at the polls, both candidates fell short of the 50% vote they needed to become President. The race is headed toward a runoff, meaning another election by the end of May 2023.

The Turks are at a kind of turning point, having to choose between two leaders offering dramatically different visions for their country’s future. Erdogan promises a strong, multilateral Turkey, creation of six million jobs, and harps on his long rule. Kilicdaroglu, backed by a broad opposition, wants to steer Turkey back towards a pro-Western, more democratic state. And wants to roll back Erdogan’s policies.

The presidential elections are being held alongside parliamentary elections, to elect a President for a term of five years.

G7 Hiroshima, Japan

The Group of 7 nations summit- the 49th- is being hosted by core member Japan in Hiroshima, Japan, between 19 May and 21 May 2023. Other participating members are United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Italy. And The European Union. This is the first summit for both British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, since being elected to Office.

India is an invitee along with Australia, Brazil, Ukraine, and a few other countries. And the United Nations.

This year, the agenda in addition to the usual climate change, sustainable development, food, and health goals…the focus would be on upholding the international order based on the rule of law, in the light of Russia’s uncalled for aggression in Ukraine.

India’s Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi is on a flying visit abroad: first to the G7 summit; then to Papua New Guinea, followed by a series of engagements in Australia’s Sydney, including a bilateral meeting with PM Anthony Albanese.

While India’s PM was flying, back home it was turbulence in the air, with the Reserve Bank of India announcing withdrawl of those lovely pink colour Rs 2000 notes from circulation. And the Finance Ministry blundering on levying 20% ‘Tax Collection at Source’ (TCS) on international Credit Card Transactions – which it quickly rolled-back. Staggering incompetence?

Elections, Karnataka, India

Karnataka was the only state in South India that was ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which also rules at the Centre. In Elections held last week and votes counted at the end of the week, the BJP was routed by the Grand Old Party of India- the Congress Party. They won an absolute majority and proved the Exit Polls right.

The BJP was found licking its wounds, and it’s a tails-up for the next round of Elections – every failure is a lesson. Whatever the angles the analysts may spin, people throw out the Government that fails to deliver and meet their expectations. And bring back the previous one, which was also kicked out in similar fashion.

Meanwhile, the Congress went back to doing what it does best – High Command ruling. There is a tussle between two senior leaders on who should become Chief Minister and the Bengaluru-New Delhi flights are operating to capacity. If it was not a decisive mandate for one Party, the Resorts and Spas in the region would have been fully booked for parking and feeding the horses – else they might run and be traded in Government formation.

Simple, pure democracy demands that the elected Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) meet and elect a leader among themselves for the top job. But then what is the High Command for?

Towards the end of the week, the logjam was resolved, and the Challenger was felled by the come-hither looks, and dimples of the ‘High Command’, meekly agreeing to be a deputy. Somebody said double-engine sarkar: a ’stable’ government to keep the horses in the stable.

Tennis, Italy

In one of the biggest upsets of this year’s Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) season, a qualifier, 23 year old Hungarian, Fabian Marozsan shocked World No 2 Carlos Alcaraz with a stunning 6-3, 7-6 (4) victory in the third round of the Italian Open, this week. Marozsan ranked No. 135, is the lowest‑ranked player to defeat Alcaraz since July 2021. Until he came through the qualifying draw in Rome and defeated the No. 67 Corentin Moutet, Marozsan had never won an ATP match. This is his first ever ATP main draw and also the first ever Masters 1000 Tournament.

On his first appearance on any major stadium court, Marozsan approached the in‑form Player on the tour fearlessly and calmly. From the very beginning, Marozsan served precisely and controlled the baseline. He forced Alcaraz back with consistent aggression and his sweet two-handed backhand while offering the Spaniard a taste of his own medicine: an endless stream of unbelievable, winning, drop shots.

Meanwhile, Rafael Nadal announced that ‘his body has made a decision’ to withdraw from the upcoming French Open 2023. And he will not be playing for the following months. He is targeting Wimbledon 2024 for a ‘swan song’ end to his career and saving-up for one last season. The 2023 Roland Garros will be the first without Roger or Rafa since 1998 – that’s heart-wrenching for Tennis fans.

Please Yourself

The Cannes Film Festival offers unparalleled fashion moments year after year and this year 2023 it ‘catwalks the screens’ between 16 May and 27 May, on the French Riviera.

This year’s 76th event will feature screenings of the latest films from acclaimed directors such as Wes Anderson, Todd Haynes, and Martin Scorsese. And red carpet appearances from those films’ stylish stars, including Margot Robbie, Scarlett Johansson, Julianne Moore, and Tilda Swinton.

Johnny Depp walked the famous red carpet, with the premiere of his Louis XV period drama, ‘Jeanne du Barry’, opening the event. Jeanne du Barry has been billed as Depp’s comeback film, following his explosive trial last year with ex-wife Amber Heard.

She’s got glamour in her genes. Carys, the daughter of Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones –my favourite actress-proved she’s a natural in front of the camera during a rare red carpet appearance. Unlike her mother, who matched the carpet in a flowing, red gown with a long draped shoulder, Carys wore a delicate white lace dress featuring a deep V-neck and back cutouts.

Actress Uma Thurman presented Michael Douglas with the event’s highest honour, the Palme d’Or lifetime achievement award. Taking the stage, Douglas was given a prolonged round of applause. Meanwhile, ‘Indiana Jones’ Harrison Ford was also awarded Palme d’Or, which he emotionally accepted- being his last in the role.

India’s all-time beauty, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is still finding it hard to slay the red carpet. Aishwarya walked the red carpet at the screening of ‘Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny’, dressed in an outfit completely out of her comfort zone – a black gown with a giant silver hood that extended into a train. Aishwarya finished her look with her signature crimson lips. I just could not find Aishwarya – no matter how hard I searched in the great mass of aluminium foil. Why do they keep doing this to her; to her beauty?

More stories coming up in the weeks ahead. Dress cleverly, don’t foil your beauty with the wrong aluminium. Stay with World Inthavaaram.

WORLD INTHAVAARAM, 2023-18 & 19

About-the world this week, 30 April to 6 May 2023 and 7 May 2023 to 13 May 2023 -Two weeks in one: Russia versus Ukraine; Gun Violence in Europe; India’s Manipur; a King’s Coronation; Pakistan in turmoil; The Kerala Story; Indian wrestling; the Pulitzers; Nude lipstick at the Met Gala 2023.

Everywhere

Last week, Russia came up with a ‘special accusation’, blaming Ukraine of engineering a plot to assassinate its President, Vladimir Putin. This, after Russian air defences shot down two drones attempting to strike Putin’s residence inside the Kremlin walls. Of course, Russia said ‘naughty’ Ukraine carried out the drone strikes on the Kremlin.

Ukraine, on its part, denied any involvement and accused Russia of cleverly using the incident as a pretext for stepping-up attacks on the country.

Meanwhile, Ukraine is busy defending itself from the rapacious attack of Russia and pushing back Russian troops from its soil. There is fierce fighting-the longest and the bloodiest of this war so far- in the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut and Ukraine is clinging to the last streets. Russia has been unable to take control of the city due to the unbelievable fight-back by Ukraine.

When you think of Gun Violence, the United States (US) automatically shoots up in the mind. Maybe they have a close competitor – Serbia. This week, tens of thousands of people took to the streets in Belgrade and other cities to protest gun violence after two mass shootings shook Serbia. Last week, a 13 years old boy opened fire in his school in Belgrade, killing nine people and injuring seven others. A day later, a 20 years old man, with an assault rifle, shot and killed eight people in several villages. Serbia has the highest rate of gun ownership in Europe.

In response to the shootings, the Government launched a month-long effort to get people to surrender their illegal weapons with no questions asked. So far, more than 1,500 guns have been surrendered. Now, Serbians are demanding a boost in security, a reduction of violent media content, and the resignation of top government officials for failing to ‘holster the situation’.

Britain’s King Charles III was officially crowned on the Saturday of last week, in a magnificent and deeply religious ceremony combined with pageantry at London’s Westminster Abbey. It was Britain’s first coronation in 70 years and was a symbolic coming together of the Monarchy, the Church, and the State. King Charles is the 40th reigning monarch to be crowned since the year 1066.

After the two-hour ceremony, King Charles and his wife, Queen Camilla-who was also crowned-travelled to Buckingham Palace in the Gold State Coach, which has been used in every Coronation since 1831. They later made the mandatory appearance on the palace balcony alongside other members of the royal family.

Estranged Prince Harry watched the proceedings alone from the sidelines – without a sparkle: wife Meghan Markle and the kids were in far-away US.

This week, Pakistan saw deadly protests in the wake of the arrest of former Prime Minister, Imran Khan. Tensions remained high with paramilitary troops and police on the streets in major cities. Mobile services were suspended – that’s becoming a habit all over the world – and schools and offices were closed in two of Pakistan’s four provinces.

Imran Khan was arrested on two corruption charges of more than 100 cases registered against him since his ouster in April 2022, in a parliamentary no-confidence vote. If convicted, he may be unable to contest elections. And his party, Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) is most likely to emerge victorious if free and fair elections are held later this year. With Pakistan’s Army infamously poking its nose fully into governance of the Country we can expect lots of gunfire and twists and turns in the coming weeks and months.

In some relief for Imran Khan, late in the week, the Supreme Court declared his arrest by the Army as illegal. However, he will be held in a Police Guest House until the smoke clears!

India’s North Eastern State of Manipur has been thrown into ethnic turmoil with violence, arson, and mayhem unfolding in its various districts. Shoot-at-sight orders was issued to quell the violence.

The immediate provocation for the unrest appears to be the demand of the Meitei community, which accounts for 53% of Manipur’s population and primarily inhabits the Manipur Valley, to be included in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) list – for reservation benefits. The Manipur High Court also issued an order asking the Government of Manipur State to send a recommendation to the Centre to include the Meitei community in the ST List.

Going deeper, there is also an underlying anger, simmering for a long time, on the Government’s clampdown on reserved and protected forests in the State’s hill areas. And also a feeling among Manipur’s Kuki community of being persecuted. Several Chin, people of the same ethnic group from across the border in Myanmar, have entered India, fleeing violence and persecution, and the Government’s tough stance against these illegal immigrants has angered the Kukis. There, you have a pot-boiler situation.

It all began on 3 May, after the All Tribal Students Union Manipur (ATSUM) held a solidarity march in all districts opposing the Manipur High Court order.

On 4th May, as the violence escalated, the Centre invoked emergency provisions under the Constitution. And in the last few days, convoys of Army trucks, the Assam Rifles, the Rapid Action Force, and local police personnel have moved into the State and entered affected areas.

Over a dozen people have been killed, hundreds have been wounded, and over 9,000 people belonging to the Kuki and Meitei communities, besides others, have been displaced so far. Buildings, homes, and other property, including vehicles, have been destroyed. The situation is tense, and the Government is struggling to bring back peace in the region.

The Indian movie The Kerala Story, which puts the spotlight on forced conversion and radicalisation of women in the State of Kerala, has sparked a terrific row. Amid protests, petitions challenging the film’s release reached the Supreme Court, which has refused to intervene in the matter.

The controversy around started after film-makers dropped the trailer, which claimed that 32,000 girls from Kerala had gone missing and joined the terrorist organisation, Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). The Kerala High Court refused to halt the release of the multi-lingual film after concluding that the trailer did not contain anything that could be considered offensive to any particular community as a whole.

The Kerala Story is a compilation of the true stories of three young girls from different parts of Kerala, who converted to Islam and joined ISIS. Shalini Unnikrishnan, a woman who converted to Islam, shares her harrowing journey of aspiring to become a nurse, only to be abducted from her home and coerced by extremist groups. She was eventually manipulated into joining ISIS and ended up imprisoned in Afghanistan.

Directed by Sudipto Sen and produced by Vipul Amrutlal Shah, The Kerala Story stars Adah Sharma (as Shalini Unnikrishnan), Yogita Bihani, Sonia Balani, and Siddhi Idnani. It released on 5th May and is having an incredible run at the box-office.

The film has courted controversy for claiming thousands of innocent women have been systematically converted to Islam, radicalized & their lives destroyed.

The events portrayed in the film were inspired by the accounts of four women from Kerala who converted to Islam and traveled with their husbands to Afghanistan to join ISIS between 2016 and 2018. And who were interviewed by a news website in 2019. They were part of a 21 member group from Kerala to join ISIS in 2016, who remain incarcerated in Afghanistan since surrendering in 2019. The makers of the film have claimed that the film is the true story of an instance of ‘Love Jihad’ — a Hindutva conspiracy theory about non-Muslim women romanced and lured into marriage to convert them to Islam.

The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) is wrestling with a scandal involving its President Brij Bhushan Singh Sharan, 66, President of the WFI since 2011. He was elected for a third consecutive term in February 2019, and is a politician, currently with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and also a Member of Parliament.

The allegations are that the President had sexually exploited and harassed women wrestlers over a period of several years. Top Indian wrestlers have been protesting on the streets of New Delhi for the last week over the lack of action against the WFI President. The protesting athletes have demanded an immediate arrest and sought the intervention of the Supreme Court, which directed the police to register a case against Brij Bhushan Singh.

The WFI President as denied the allegations, saying it’s arm-twisting by the Opposition…and the sparring continues.

While on protest, India’s top wrestlers have alleged that they were abused and assaulted by the police in Delhi while trying to bring beds to the protest site where they have been protesting since 23rd April.

For more than 100 years, the Pulitzer Prizes have been awarded by Columbia University to honour American achievements in journalism, letters and drama, and music. Pulitzers are widely recognised as the most prestigious awards in their field within the United States.

The 107th Pulitzer prizes celebrated journalists across the country. The Associated Press won two awards for its coverage of the war in Ukraine, including the most prestigious of all Pulitzers, the Public Service award.

The Washington Post won two Pulitzers- National Reporting and Feature Writing- as did the Los Angeles Times-Breaking News Reporting and Feature Photography. So did Al.com, Birmingham. Its columnist Kyle Whitmire won the Commentary award for his work analyzing Alabama’s confederate heritage. The publication also took home a Local Reporting Pulitzer for its series exposing malfeasance on the part of the local police force. Two awards were given in that category. The other Local Reporting Pulitzer went to Mississippi Today, in Ridgeland, Miss.

The New York Times won two Pulitzers as well, for International Reporting and for Illustrated Reporting and Commentary. The Pulitzer for Music went to Omar, by Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels an innovative and compelling opera about enslaved people brought to North America from Muslim countries, a musical work that respectfully represents African as well as African American traditions, expanding the language of the operatic form while conveying the humanity of those condemned to bondage.

In some glad news, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that Monkeypox is no longer a global public health emergency. WHO added that the virus is still sneaking around and further waves and outbreaks could continue, but the highest level of alert is over. This comes almost a week after WHO also declaring that the COVID-19 Emergency is over. Two good goodbyes?

Please Yourself

This year’s annual fashion event, the Met Gala 2023, graced by iconic persons had most of them sporting sexy, sublime nude lips. From red carpets to catching up with friends or date nights, nude lips are as versatile and easy to wear as they come. Taking into consideration the right makeup look for any ensemble or event has never been easier as one can seldom go awry with a nude lip.

The Met Gala 2023 saw the model industry’s sweetheart Gigi Hadid looking stunning in a sheer black Givenchy Gown. To pull the whole look together, she wore natural base makeup, shimmery eye shadow and razor-sharp cat eyeliner that brought out the captivating beauty of her eyes with ease. Most notably, Gigi wore a comfortable caramel nude lip colour that complemented her peaches and cream skin perfectly.

India’s Bollywood Actress Alia Bhatt’s debut at the Met Gala 2023 was no short of a fantastic feat in her career. ‘Dressed to the nines’ in custom Prabal Gurung couture, Alia shone under the lights looking like a million dollars. Her signature dewy make-up and soft glam brown smokey eyes were brilliantly paired with a cool nude lipstick that pulled her ensemble to perfection.

Thus the nude lipstick became the signature tune of this year’s Met Gala.

More beautiful stories coming up in the weeks ahead. Stay clothed with World Inthavaaram.

WORLD INTHAVAARAM, 2023-17

About-the world this week, 23 April to 29 April 2023: gunfires and standing your ground; news broadcasters crossing a line; flight out of a fighting Sudan; India’s Naxalites blast again; and snakes in Indian politics.

Everywhere

In America the gunfire refuses to subside. Early this week nine people were injured after gunfire erupted at a teenagers’ party in Jasper County, Texas. The shooting took place at a private residence where some 250 Jasper High School students had gathered after their annual prom dance.

The reason known at this point of time is that some kids ganged up after prom to have a night they could remember the rest of their lives, and somehow it got twisted, a bunch of children got shot. The victims ranged in age between 15 and 19. A motive for the shooting had not yet been identified.

Just last weekend, four people were killed and 28 others were injured in a shooting at a ‘Sweet 16’ birthday party in Alabama.

Firearm incidents are now the leading cause of death for American children and teenagers, according to the United States Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.

Meanwhile, there is a burst of another kind of fire: shootings sparked by everyday mistakes.

There was this teenage boy in Missouri who rang the wrong doorbell. He had gone to pick up his two younger brother from a friend’s house. However, he went to the wrong home. An eighty years old homeowner answered the door and promptly shot the teen in the head and arm. The boy who was hospitalised in critical condition, is now recovering at home.

Then this 20 years old woman in rural upstate New York whose boyfriend accidentally turned into the wrong driveway -while looking for a friend’s house- resulting in her being shot and killed by a man shooting from his front porch in a Wild West mode.

Firing on, about two cheerleaders in Texas whose group approached the wrong car to find a man sitting in the back seat. The girls backtracked and went back to their car, but the man in the wrong car approached them and when they rolled down the windows to maybe apologise, he shot them.

And the family in North Carolina, who were shot at after a basketball rolled into the suspect’s yard. And after children jumped-in and went to retrieve the ball.

Though believed to be the ‘rarest of the rare, wrong place, wrong time’ shootings seem more common than ever before. The trend may be due to a number of factors, such as increased distrust or a sometimes-racist fear of crime, marketing by the gun lobby, and self-defense laws in states that protect shooters. Those laws generally fall into two categories, though the way they’re used state-to-state is different. One is the ‘Castle Doctrine’ which says while someone is on their property, they can use deadly force in defense without retreating. The other includes ‘Stand Your Ground’ laws, which extend that to public places, or anywhere someone with a gun has the legal right to be.

In other America news, two of the biggest names in broadcast news were showed the door by their respective Bosses.

In February, Don Lemon of ‘CNN This Morning’ came under fire after he said former UN ambassador Nikki Haley “isn’t in her prime” to run for president. He later apologised for his misogynistic on-air remarks, but the damage had been done.

Close behind was Fox News, which announced that its prime-time host is leaving the network after 14 years. ‘Tucker Carlson Tonight’ was one of the most successful shows on the network, with an average nightly audience of 3.2 million viewers. Over the years, the show increasingly became a platform for former President Trump and conservative commentators. Carlson has come under fire for pushing theories that the 2020 election was stolen and for misleading viewers about the 6th January Capitol Riots.

Tucker Carlson and Don Lemon are both out of the roles they’ve held for years. The shifts in the industry — from firings to layoffs — show that media outlets appear to be facing a reckoning.

Fierce fighting continues in Sudan and countries are busy evacuating their people from the crazy war-zone.

American forces evacuated US embassy personnel from the country’s capital. India worked round the clock to herd their flock together in ‘Operation Kaveri’. And India has become something of an ‘evacuation expert’- what with many Countries approaching India for help. Say Sri Lanka.

The Naxalite issue is a stranglehold that refuses to leave India in peace. This week at least 10 personnel of the District Reserve Guards and their civilian driver were killed when Maoists detonated a powerful (Improvised Explosive Device) IED on a un-metalled road and fired on the wounded jawans near Aranpur, Dantewada District, Bastar, about 400 kilometres south of Raipur, on Wednesday.

Around 200 jawans were returning in a convoy when the blast was triggered. Police believe about 50 kilograms of explosives were used.

The IED was so powerful that it blasted a crater 12 feet deep and around 25 feet across, spanning the entire width of the village road. The vehicle was blown to smithereens and some of the rifles were bent out of shape by the shockwaves.

India’s Railway infrastructure is on an awesome track roll, the Prime Minster (PM) of India is busy snaking around the country to inaugurate the New Vande Bharat Trains. These ‘non-poisonous’ Made In India trains feature a GPS-based passenger information system, bio-vacuum toilets, and rotational seats that can be aligned in the direction of travel in the executive class, and employs a regenerative braking system. The Vande Bharat can reach a maximum speed of 180 km.

During an Election campaign in the State of Karnataka the Congress President called the PM a poisonous snake, and you could die by licking it. A longtime ago, another Congress President called the PM ‘The Merchant of Death’ during another Election campaign – the results were there for all to see. Lots of poison being thrown around this week.

More stories snaking-up in the weeks ahead. Stay away from poison stay with World Inthavaaram.